Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) — Plotwright

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Lily of the valley

Habit (mature) · H. Zell / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Lily of the valley

Convallaria majalis

A low, shade-loving rhizomatous perennial groundcover from Eurasia, grown for its sweetly fragrant, nodding, bell-shaped white flowers in late spring. NC State Extension describes paired basal elliptic leaves 5-10 inches long and arching racemes of small (about 1/3 inch) six-lobed white bells held 6-10 inches tall over the foliage. It is prized for carpeting shady ground and for its perfume, but it is HIGHLY TOXIC in all parts and its dense rhizomes can spread aggressively and choke out other plants — a beautiful but hazardous and potentially invasive groundcover that must be sited with care.

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: narrow (38/100)

Border

Filler

Light

Part shade / Part sun

Water

Consistent moisture

Mature size

6-10" tall · 6" apart

Hardy in zones

3a-7b

brutally cold to cold winters

Summer heat range

Cool-Mild

cool to mild summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

No

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It wants dappled to partial or full shade and moist, high-organic-matter soil (clay, loam, or rich soil that stays moist but tolerates occasional dry or wet spells); it is a cool-climate plant that does not thrive in hot southern zones beyond 7b.

Climate notes

Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Marginal

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

✓→⚠

Well-suited today, but likely marginal by 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 34 ecoregions — 26 climate-resilient through 2070 · 8 suited today. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

Arizona Mountains forests

Blue Mountains forests

Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

Central Tallgrass prairie

Central-Southern Cascades Forests

Colorado Rockies forests

Cross-Timbers savanna-woodland

Eastern Canadian Forest-Boreal transition

What it needs

Conditions

Light

Part shade / Part sun

Water

Consistent moisture

Spacing

6"

Habit

Low, spreading rhizomatous perennial groundcover

Care tips

•

Site it in dappled to full shade in moist, rich soil — it is a cool-climate groundcover (zones 3a-7b) that languishes in hot sun and dry ground.

•

Contain the aggressive rhizomes with a buried edging or a confined bed; it can spread and choke out neighboring plants and naturalize well beyond where you planted it.

•

Treat the whole plant as poisonous: wear gloves when dividing or trimming, keep flowers and berries away from children and pets, and never plant it where curious animals or kids might nibble it.

Lifecycle

Planting

Plant the rhizomes ("pips") in dappled to full shade in moist, high-organic-matter soil. NC State Extension lists USDA hardiness zones 3a-7b and tolerance of clay, loam, and rich soils that stay moist but can run occasionally dry or wet. Site it where its aggressive rhizomatous spread is acceptable or can be confined.

Transplanting

Lift and divide established clumps in fall, separating the rhizomes into individual pips and replanting about 6 inches apart in shade; this is also the simplest way to make more plants.

Early growth

Keep the soil consistently moist while the rhizomes establish. Plants prefer dappled to partial or full shade (under 2-6 hours of direct sun) and rich, organic, moisture-retentive ground; growth is slow at first but accelerates as the rhizome mat develops.

Maturity

Mature plantings form a low 6-10 inch carpet of paired elliptic leaves topped in late spring by arching racemes of fragrant white bells for roughly three weeks (NC State Extension). The dense rhizomes can spread aggressively and choke out other plants, so manage the edges.

Propagation

NC State Extension lists propagation by division (in fall) and by seed; division of the rhizome pips is by far the most common and reliable method. Note that all plant parts, including any orange-red berries that form, are highly toxic — handle and dispose of trimmings carefully.

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/lily-of-the-valley

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

University extension service

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Backs 1 field

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